Toby Keith, best known for his American patriot personality, talks about Merle Haggard’s influence on him.

Keith recently made headlines when Haggard was in poor health and couldn’t finish a concert. Toby went on to finish the set with Merle’s songs, as a true fan of Haggard would.

When asked about the first music he heard, Keith states:

“the first recording I remember hearing as a kid was bob wheels and merle haggard, that’s all my dad had.

so they asked me to do a tribute to the ‘Hag,’ they go: ‘We need 6 or 8 songs,’ To which keith replied: It’s impossible to pick 6 or 8 songs, so you’re gonna have to give me bit.”

There couldn’t be a truer statement made in this interview, as Merle’s music has effected every genre we know today. Haggard is responsible for some of the most famous songs in the history of music, so trying to replicate that is quite a task.

Keith goes on to state what made Haggard such a success:

“he had the look, he had voice, he had the name, was a songwriter and great guitarist”

Watch the full interview in the video above, and let us know what you think in the comments below!